The Town of West Malling in the 1920's by Phyllis Stevens

Following on my description of West Malling High Street, I return to the top of Swan Street which is between the Post Office and Smith’s Ladies Shop. Going down on the right-hand south side we pass the Working Men’s Club which was very popular with billiards, snooker, darts, card games, etc. Next a shoe repairers, and a men’s hairdresser.  Then came an entrance to the back of the High Street shops for deliveries.  Then the Swan Room which was let out for Whist drives, Concerts, Wedding Breakfasts and various other entertainments.

We now come to a large piece of land and the gate to the Abbey where nuns and monks have lived since 1090.  The old building is hidden behind a very high stone wall. During the Second World War the monks living there came into the Town and were very popular with the local people.  Further down Swan Street we come to a Cascade of water which flows through from the Abbey grounds.  It is a stream which flows from the Manor Park lake which starts as springs round the Keep in St Leonards Street.  From here there are orchards of Kentish Cobs, then the road divides into Station Road going to the station where we had steam trains going to and from London and the other road to East Malling.

Returning to the High Street, on the right-hand north side we see Went House followed by a lane called Cascade Avenue commonly called Frog Lane because lots of frogs would come out of the stream onto the road.  Next two houses then a Public House called The Brewers Tap. I am not too sure exactly how the rest went but I know there was Goddens who repaired carriages also their house and yard, a Wine and spirit shop, the Baptist Chapel, Dr Cole’s house, some cottages and the entrance to Police Station Road.  On the opposite corner The Kent Arms, and a house, The National Provincial Bank, The Swan Hotel, a house, Styles Yard, a confectioners called Stripps, Hobdays, and Baldocks who sold nearly everything.

We now cross over the High Street and go up as far as Bartons corner and turn into West Street.  On the right is a Colonnade under which is Rogers cycle shop and Smithers a grocers.  I particularly remember Smithers because when you walked in the door you could smell all the goods which were in open containers including tea, coffee, etc.  We pass an orchard and cottages until we come to the Gas Works where there is a gate which leads into the Cricket Meadow. I was told that the first recorded match was played in 1705.  We always went to the Gardeners Annual Show on August Bank Holiday, which was always the first Monday in the month.  They had a large T-shaped tent which was full of flowers, vegetables, fruit, cooked potatoes and runner beans as well as flower decorations and cakes.  There were also drawings done by the schoolchildren.  There was also the usual fair which was roundabouts, swings and stalls with different games and coconut shies. In the evening there was a Flannel Dance in the Badminton Hall.  I once heard a gentleman say "On August Bank Holidays all roads lead to West Malling"

Another good thing in West Malling was the Operatic Society which put on a Gilbert and Sullivan opera every year.  The performers were mostly local people.  I can remember as quite a youngster going to see the "Mikado", "The Pirates of Penzance", "Iolanthe" and "Patience" also "Ruddigore" and "A Country Girl" which is not G and S.  The school children went to see them on the Monday which was the dress rehearsal.  They were all played in the Badminton Hall accompanied by an orchestra.

Another regular meeting at the Badminton Hall was "The Fanciers Society" showing Hens, Cockerels, Rabbits, Canaries and Budgerigars, not forgetting new laid eggs.  It was a two day show having a night watchman to make sure that all the cages were kept locked up and nothing escaped.   Regular Dances were put on several times in the year.  Now we will leave the Badminton Hall and go into the Offham Road.  This is a road which is all houses except that at the top we come to a Public House called "The Fountain."  We skirt round that to go into Church Fields and come to a little shop run by a little old lady who sold Aniseed Balls, Lemonade, Sherbet Powder, eucalyptus gums and bottles of Lemonade and Ginger Beer also penny bars of Nestles Chocolate and a variety of sweets in jars.  Whatever you wished to buy, she would pick a square of newspaper, screw it up like a cornet and put your sweets into it.  We go up the road with cottages on the left and allotments on the right until we come to the infants school and Girl’s school which had an apple tree in the middle of the playground.  Now through some wooden posts like the iron ones at the end of this path at the top of the High Street.

There are such a lot of those days that I remember, being proud that my brother Ernest was solo boy in the church choir.  The Rev A.W. Lawson was Vicar and Mr Cossom choirmaster and organist.  One Easter Sunday morning the choirboys went on strike because they had not been paid their money for some previous Sundays, they stood outside the Church in their cassocks and surplices until they had been promised their money in the evening ------- THE BOYS WON!!!

I go down to the Iron Posts again and I am at the top of the High Street and facing me is Church House in which the Bracher family lived.   I turn to the right and there is a large white house named Brome.  We go round the double corner and come to the lodge at the gates of the Manor House where my parents, brother and I first lived in 1919 and to the left is the lake where my father took us in the punt to the island for picnics.

Further along the road is a cutting in the rocks which is the road to the Manor Farm, which at that time belonged to Hinge and Doubleday who had a Bailiff, Mr Waters.  He never worried about us running over the farm to see the Horses, Pigs and Cows.  Our greatest delight was at hop picking time when we spent most of our school holidays in the Oast houses which had three large fires on the bottom floor.  The heat rising to dry the hops brought from the fields in Pokes (a sack) and spread on the top floor which was made of horse hair.  The hops were then shovelled onto the floor below the Oast floor and , pressed into pockets (very big long sacks), then dropped to the bottom floor where we enjoyed stencilling the date etc., on them.  In the evening we would take some potatoes up to the oast house and the drier would put them in the pile of hot ashes that was under the fires and later we would fetch them and have them for supper with plenty of butter.

Those days were the happiest that I can remember of my childhood days and we were very lucky to be in such an interesting place.  There are still places that I have not told you about.  New Barn, Bo Peep where one of the butchers kept his sheep before sending them to the slaughter house in King Street.   Banky Meadows where we tobogganed when the snow was on the ground, unfortunate for those who went in the stream at the bottom if it was not frozen.  There was also a very old house called Fartherwell Hall, park and grounds.

Now I can only thank my ancestors who passed on to me a very good memory to enable me to write about "The Town of West Malling "   in the 1920’s.

Gerald & Phyllis Stevens' family history and guest book

I think we can all be grateful for such an amazing memory that recalls life in the 1920's so clearly - Webmaster